“I don’t go to the opening of an envelope, so I wasn’t sure about showing everyone my personal effects, or where my lounge is,” says Gary, who is a restaurateur and chef who made his name on the popular TV show, MasterChef.
But he’s justifiably proud of the gorgeous home and the renovations he’s done on the house first built in 1886.
Gary, his wife Mandy, and their daughter Jenna, moved in four years ago and he says it felt like a family home straight away.
“It had scratches on the floorboards. It felt comfortable, like it had a spirit of its own,” says Gary.
“I love a house that feels like it’s been lived in. It’s funny really because my parents love new houses. My dad is always saying old houses are damp, they have drafts, but I love that.”
As you’d expect, the kitchen is at the heart of the house and reveals Gary as a neat freak.
“I’m very meticulous and tidy. I’m always at my daughter to wipe the bench top down, or chuck that in the dishwasher.”
Gary also loves the two entertaining areas that lead off the luxurious kitchen.
“One that opens into the back garden – I love the interaction with open spaces, I like the freedom of open spaces,” he says.
